Compact and resource efficient cities? Synergies and trade-offs in European cities

Christian Fertner; Juliane Große

doi:10.1515/esrp-2016-0004

Compact and resource efficient cities? Synergies and trade-offs in European cities

Christian Fertner, Juliane Große

Landscape Architecture and Planning

11 Citations (Scopus)

162 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Cities are the main consumers of energy and resources but at the same time are considered as centres for innovation which can provide solutions to unsustainable development. An important concept regarding energy and resource efficiency on the scale of the city and city-region is the compact city. Compact cities and compact urban development are thought to decrease energy and resource demand per capita and increase efficiency. At the same time trade-offs and potential rebound effects of increased resource efficiency question certain achievements of a compact urban structure. This paper reviews aspects of resource and energy efficiency in compact city development in a European context. We conclude that, if the idea of the compact city should have any effect on resource and energy efficiency, accompanying measures have to be implemented, such as e.g. efficient public transport systems to offer alternative travel modes. Also the allocation of efficiency gains due to compact urban development has to be taken into account in order to avoid direct and indirect rebound effects.

Original language	English
Journal	European Spatial Research and Policy
Volume	23
Issue number	1
Pages (from-to)	65-79
Number of pages	15
ISSN	1231-1952
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1515/esrp-2016-0004
Publication status	Published - 1 Jun 2016

Keywords

Urban planning
compact city
Resource Efficiency
compactness
urban sprawl
Infrastructure
densification
district energy
energy
Rebound effect
Trade-off

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1515/esrp-2016-0004

Christian FERTNER, Juliane GROßEFinal published version, 1.16 MB

http://esrap.geo.uni.lodz.pl/uploads/publications/articles/v23n1/Christian%20FERTNER,%20Juliane%20GRO%C3%9FE.pdf

3 Lecture and oral contribution
1 Other (prizes, external teaching and other activities) - Period visiting other institutions

Towards carbon neutral cities – trends and counter-trends in Danish cities
Christian Fertner (Speaker)
14 Jun 2017
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Lecture and oral contribution
Energi og byer - planlægning og rebound effekter
Christian Fertner (Speaker)
3 Mar 2016
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Lecture and oral contribution
Energy and urban development – planning, indicators and rebound effects – findings from the EU-FP7 project PLEEC
Christian Fertner (Speaker)
26 Oct 2015
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Lecture and oral contribution
Guest researcher
Christian Fertner (Participant)
13 May 2013 → 14 Jul 2013
Activity: Other activity types › Other (prizes, external teaching and other activities) - Period visiting other institutions

Cite this

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title = "Compact and resource efficient cities? Synergies and trade-offs in European cities",

abstract = "Cities are the main consumers of energy and resources but at the same time are considered as centres for innovation which can provide solutions to unsustainable development. An important concept regarding energy and resource efficiency on the scale of the city and city-region is the compact city. Compact cities and compact urban development are thought to decrease energy and resource demand per capita and increase efficiency. At the same time trade-offs and potential rebound effects of increased resource efficiency question certain achievements of a compact urban structure. This paper reviews aspects of resource and energy efficiency in compact city development in a European context. We conclude that, if the idea of the compact city should have any effect on resource and energy efficiency, accompanying measures have to be implemented, such as e.g. efficient public transport systems to offer alternative travel modes. Also the allocation of efficiency gains due to compact urban development has to be taken into account in order to avoid direct and indirect rebound effects.",

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AU - Große, Juliane

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N2 - Cities are the main consumers of energy and resources but at the same time are considered as centres for innovation which can provide solutions to unsustainable development. An important concept regarding energy and resource efficiency on the scale of the city and city-region is the compact city. Compact cities and compact urban development are thought to decrease energy and resource demand per capita and increase efficiency. At the same time trade-offs and potential rebound effects of increased resource efficiency question certain achievements of a compact urban structure. This paper reviews aspects of resource and energy efficiency in compact city development in a European context. We conclude that, if the idea of the compact city should have any effect on resource and energy efficiency, accompanying measures have to be implemented, such as e.g. efficient public transport systems to offer alternative travel modes. Also the allocation of efficiency gains due to compact urban development has to be taken into account in order to avoid direct and indirect rebound effects.

AB - Cities are the main consumers of energy and resources but at the same time are considered as centres for innovation which can provide solutions to unsustainable development. An important concept regarding energy and resource efficiency on the scale of the city and city-region is the compact city. Compact cities and compact urban development are thought to decrease energy and resource demand per capita and increase efficiency. At the same time trade-offs and potential rebound effects of increased resource efficiency question certain achievements of a compact urban structure. This paper reviews aspects of resource and energy efficiency in compact city development in a European context. We conclude that, if the idea of the compact city should have any effect on resource and energy efficiency, accompanying measures have to be implemented, such as e.g. efficient public transport systems to offer alternative travel modes. Also the allocation of efficiency gains due to compact urban development has to be taken into account in order to avoid direct and indirect rebound effects.

KW - Urban planning

KW - compact city

KW - Resource Efficiency

KW - compactness

KW - urban sprawl

KW - Infrastructure

KW - densification

KW - district energy

KW - energy

KW - Rebound effect

KW - Trade-off

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DO - 10.1515/esrp-2016-0004

M3 - Journal article

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JO - European Spatial Research and Policy

JF - European Spatial Research and Policy

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ER -

Compact and resource efficient cities? Synergies and trade-offs in European cities

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Activities

Towards carbon neutral cities – trends and counter-trends in Danish cities

Energi og byer - planlægning og rebound effekter

Energy and urban development – planning, indicators and rebound effects – findings from the EU-FP7 project PLEEC

Guest researcher

Cite this